That made the wild-swan pause in her | On a day when they were going cloud, And the lark drop down at his feet. The swallow stopt as he hunted the bee, The snake slipt under a spray, The wild hawk stood with the down on his beak, And stared, with his foot on the prey, And the nightingale thought, "I have sung many songs, But never a one so gay, For he sings of what the world will be When the years have died away." My life is full of weary days, But good things have not kept aloof, Nor wandered into other ways: I have not lack'd thy mild reproof, And now shake hands across the brink THE CAPTAIN. A LEGEND OF THE NAVY. HE that only rules by terror Doeth grievous wrong. Let him hear my song. Brave the Captain was: the seamen Wheresoe'er he came. So they past by capes and islands, Sailing under palmy highlands O'er the lone expanse, In the north, her canvas flowing, "Chase," he said: the ship flew forward, Then they look'd at him they hated, Mute with folded arms they waited - But they heard the foeman's thunder All the air was torn in sunder, Crashing went the boom, Spars were splinter'd,decks were shatter'd, Over mast and deck were scatter'd Spars were splinter'd; decks were broken. Down they dropt- no word was spoken- In their blood, as they lay dying, Those, in whom he had reliance With one smile of still defiance Sold him unto shame. Shame and wrath his heart confounded, Pale he turn'd and red, Till himself was deadly wounded Dismal error! fearful slaughter! Side by side beneath the water O'er them mouldering, THREE SONNETS TO A COQUETTE. I. CARESS'D or chidden by the dainty hand, And singing airy trifles this or that, Light Hope at Beauty's call would perch and stand, And run thro' every change of sharp | I pledge her not in any cheerful cup, Nor care to sit beside her where she and flat; And Fancy came and at her pillow sat, When sleep had bound her in his rosy band, And chased away the still-recurring gnat, And woke her with a lay from fairy land. But now they live with Beauty less and less, For Hope is other Hope and wanders far, Nor cares to lisp in love's delicious creeds; And Fancy watches in the wilderness, Poor Fancy sadder than a single star, That sets at twilight in a land of reeds. II. The form, the form alone is eloquent ! A nobler yearning never broke her rest Than but to dance and sing, be gayly drest, sits Ah pity-hint it not in human tones, But breathe it into earth and close it up With secret death for ever, in the pits Which some green Christmas crams with weary bones. SONG. LADY, let the rolling drums Beat to battle where thy warrior stands : Now thy face across his fancy comes, And gives the battle to his hands. Lady, let the trumpets blow, Clasp thy little babes about thy knee : Now their warrior father meets the foe, And strikes him dead for thine and thee. SONG. And win all eyes with all accomplish-HOME they brought him slain with spears. ment: They brought him home at even-fall: All alone she sits and hears Echoes in his empty hall, Sounding on the morrow. The Sun peep'd in from open field, "O hush, my joy, my sorrow." ON A MOURNER. I. NATURE, so far as in her lies, But lives and loves in every place; II. Fills out the homely quick set-screens, With moss and braided marish-pipe ; III. And on thy heart a finger lays, Saying, "Beat quicker, for the time Is pleasant, and the woods and ways MISCELLANEOUS. (PUBLISHED IN 1869.) NORTHERN FARMER. NEW STYLE. I. DOSN'T thou 'ear my 'erse's legs, as they canters awaäy? Proputty, proputty, proputty - that's what I 'ears 'em saäy. Warn't I craäzed fur the lasses mysén when I wur a lad? But I knaw'd a Quaäker feller as often 'as towd ma this: "Doänt thou marry for munny, but goä wheer munny is!" VI. Proputty, proputty, proputty Sam, An' I went wheer munny war: an' thy thou's an ass for thy paaïns: mother coom to 'and, Theer's moor sense i' one o' 'is legs nor | Wi' lots o' munny laaïd by, an' a nicetish in all thy braaïns. bit o' land. A PLAGUE upon the people fell, For on them brake the sudden foe; Were it our nearest, II. But still the foeman spoil'd and burn'd, And cattle died, and deer in wood, And bird in air, and fishes turn'd And whiten'd all the rolling flood; And dead men lay all over the way, Ordown in a furrow scathed with flame: And ever and aye the priesthood moan'd Till at last it seem'd that an answer came : "The King is happy In child and wife; Take you his dearest, Give us a life." III. The Priest went out by heath and hill; They found the mother sitting still; The King was hunting in the wild; She cast her arms about the child. The child was only eight summers old, IV. The King return'd from out the wild, He bore but little game in hand; |